Chapter 1
On my wedding day, my brother threw a glass of red wine on my wedding dress.
“Aurora, you know perfectly well Stella is in love with Gideon, so why the hell are you making such a spectacle of this wedding!”
My fiancé, his face a mask of indifference, leaned against the doorframe and said in a low, hard voice.
“I’ll give you two choices. One, you walk down the aisle in that stained dress.”
Two, you go apologize to Stella right now. If you can get her to calm down, I’ll tell everyone the wedding’s postponed.”
But I didn’t choose either.
I chose a third option. Wearing my ruined wedding dress, I stood before all our friends and family and announced that my engagement to Gideon Bernard was
over.
Brother, fiancé, sister. I was done with all of them.
But right after I left, I heard the news–the heads of Chicago’s two most powerful families had both lost their minds.
They scoured the globe for the world’s most elite designers, desperately only trying to restore a wedding dress stained with red wine.
When Felix Durand stormed into the dressing room, I had just slipped into the wedding gown I’d treasured for ten years.
Before I could even admire myself in the mirror, the young man who shared my face kicked the door wide open.
“Aurora! Are you out of your damn mind? I warned you a dozen times, but you still insisted on having this stupid ceremony!”
“You know damn well Stella loves Gideon too. Are you trying to break her heart on purpose? Do you have any idea how hysterical she is right now, crying her eyes out at home?”
He roared at me, utterly enraged, completely missing the way the delight in my eyes flickered and died.
Of course. It was all about Stella.
I was at a loss. The heavy, ornate gown restricted my movements, a constant reminder that today was not the day for a fight.
With a soft sigh, I held back the sharp retort I would have normally thrown at Felix. Instead, I lifted my head and said with an unusual calm.
“Felix, can we not do this? Please, not today. I’m getting married. I just want to be happy.”
Felix’s expression only soured. He scoffed, taking two steps closer.
“Aurora, could you stop being so selfish for once? It’s just a wedding. Is it really more important than Stella’s feelings?”
“She’s so sweet and understanding, forcing herself to wish you and Gideon well even though it’s tearing her apart! All she asked was that you didn’t make such
a huge deal of it! A simple dinner with our families would have been fine! Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?”
His entitled tone made my hands tremble with rage. So much for the “special day“-I shot right back.
“I’m the one getting married, so what’s so wrong with wanting a real wedding? Who cares if Stella’s upset? Why the hell should I have to pay the price for her drama?”
“You shut your mouth! Stella is your sister too! It’s your job to take care of her and put her first!”
My vision swam. I practically screamed, “Sister? She’s your sister, not mine! My mother only had one daughter!”
“You shut up!”
Ice–cold red wine streamed from my hair, staining my snow–white dress a deep crimson.
In that instant, both Felix and I froze on the spot.
He seemed to finally shop back to his senses, the hand holding the empty wine glass trembling
“A Aurora, I did
The frantically graded a napkin from the table and fumided to wipe my face, but I flinched away.
1ke my seal had left my body. I stared down at the dark red stain spreading across my chest and fell into a long, heavy silence.
We continued to drip from my hair. Telix, perhaps thinking it was too undignified, forcefully pressed the napkin to my forehead.
Tab–Tell, why are you even bothering with her?”
I told you all we shouldn’t have a wedding. She conspired with my parents to force me here, and now Stella’s been crying for hours! Maybe it’s time she learned
lesson.
Felix and I both looked toward the door, where Gideon Bernard had appeared at some point. He was leaning against the frame, a cigarette dangling from his ips, a cold smirk on his face.
suddenly realized he wasn’t even wearing his tuxedo.
Je had on a white jacket with a crudely painted teddy bear on the chest.
I was the birthday gift Stella had given him last year.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.